President Biden's administration has appointed Steve Jurczyk, NASA’s associate administrator, to serve as the agency’s acting administrator until the role is permanently filled. Jurczyk has served with NASA since May 2018.
"We also could not be prouder of how every civil servant and contractor has stepped up to move the NASA mission forward while looking out for the health, safety, and well-being of the entire team," Jurczyk and White House appointee Bhavya Lal wrote in the joint message.
Prior to his position as associate administrator with NASA, Jurczyk served as the associate administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate, where he created and executed the agency’s space technology programs.
With the Space Technology Mission Directorate, he focused on developing and demonstrating transformative technologies for human and robotic exploration of the solar system in partnership with industry and academia.
He previously was director of NASA’s Langley Research Center, where he headed NASA’s first field Center, which plays a critical role in NASA’s aeronautics research, exploration and science missions. Jurczyk began his NASA career in 1988 at Langley in the Electronic Systems Branch as a design, integration and test engineer.
"NASA represents the best of America, and the best of American values: hard work, determination, and ingenuity. And this agency has proven, time and again, that anything is possible when we come together, break down barriers, create opportunities, and imagine a new tomorrow," Jurczyk and Lal added.
“I am thankful for their willingness to step up to lead during these difficult times and help us make sure the government continues to operate and serve the American people," Biden said in a statement announcing the acting leads of dozens of government agencies.
Biden has not yet announced a nominee to lead the NASA permanently.
